CO-CREATION Brings Harmony to the Status Quo

WOMEN: WHY are we WHO we are? WHAT are we really asking for? WHERE are the astute men to understand and hear our voices?

Are you, as a woman, sure that the myriad women’s marches speak with one voice? How much have we achieved over 200 years? We could easily be living on Mars before we see the results we seek!

Before you start to bitch that I am being off hand – a negative sceptic – be aware that I take what’s happening in our world very seriously and I am passionate to see it healed and harmonious. I admire the women who march, and I applaud the followers, yet I don’t see change occurring rapidly. I see major issues that never get to the table because the sight of women marching against this or that is nothing new. Women’s issues and causes have become the ELEPHANT in the room. I find the whole idea that gender parity is and continues to be an unresolved issue for more than 200 years deeply disturbing. I just feel we continually try to bring attention to the same old arguments through the same old methods. I am passionate about harmony between women and men… and between women and women. Disruption is a useful tool when it comes to bringing attention to an issue, but it will only have approximately that same result that it has always generated … putting light on an issue. What should be crystal clear by now is that time waits for no man, and it certainly doesn’t wait for any woman. The opportunity for sweeping change is now!

Marches are great for showing numbers and support, yet they fail to have any lasting impact with those playing power politics or in those commerce cathedrals dominated by men. Incremental changes are occurring locally, yet not at a country or world level. Do we need revolution? No! Revolutionary thinking … yes!

When the tsunami is bearing down on you, do you say “Wait, we need to move the beach chairs”? We’re all too busy to see the obvious, like changing square wheels to round ones. What seems obvious to me is that women and men working together can change the rules of the game. Maybe we also need to swap angry rhetoric for meaningful conversations. And maybe … just maybe … we can begin to engage our imagination and emotional intelligence more often than we shake a fist in the air while shouting obscenities into a microphone.

March 8th is International Women’s Day, the theme this year being #PressforProgress and yet the contention is that global gender parity is still 200 years away. It is my firm belief that we must challenge any vision that puts that imperative not only beyond our collective lifetimes, but that of generations to come. You might say “Am I bothered?” I’m certain many men and probably a lot of women in the world today are saying “Oh well, what can I do?” Really? Just the thought of such a reaction leaves me aghast. The mere thought that there of those who would say that an issue that could potentially be solved in months will take another 200 years is beyond the pale.

Elon Musk says we can live on Mars in the next decade, but do we want to? Will he start a new colony based on gender parity? I would hope so. There will certainly be thousands of people who will leap at the opportunity. I find it so paradoxical that we live in a rapidly advancing society of exploration, technology, connectivity, global trading, entrepreneurship, and invention, with the proliferation of AI on the horizon and yet there are unknown forces in our world with the power to blow us all up at any time. All this, and women are still marching in the streets like they did when Emily Pankhurst decided, in 1903, to create a new women-only group focused solely on voting rights … the Women’s Social and Political Union. The WSPU’s slogan was “Deeds Not Words.” She was put in jail in 1908, but she did help women get the right to vote. It’s now 2018 and still many women are marginalised and behind bars because of their beliefs.

WHY do we need to approach this differently?

“Everyone is some mothers child.” Every man should understand this; you wouldn’t be here if the miraculous gift of birth were not given to you by a woman. How can you continue to deny them parity and equality? Yes, I know it’s not that simple, but I do feel a change of MINDSET is long overdue; a coming together to wipe the slate clean and co-create new rules, rather than to continue to amend the old ones is paramount. Amending what is clearly obsolete is just too time consuming and accomplishes little.

When the tsunami hits – and it will – nature will take its course and will take no prisoners. The earthquake devours everything regardless of age, celebrity, social status, wealth, form or dimension. Nature creates its own boundaries. They may seem totally random, yet we see a pattern as it plays out before us. Humans have the intelligence and the responsibility to recreate a world rooted in inclusion, equality and humanity. Why then do we don pink hats to march and cry and threaten and then celebrate small victories? Don’t get me wrong. I celebrate those victories too, but there it so much to do and so little time.

YES let’s #PressforProgress by creating new rules not, by patching old ones. Men and women equal and inclusive … natural talent as important as academic credentials … elimination of bias helping us see and hear better … good ideas transcending age, ethnicity and diversity … every human being – every human life – having value … serving ourselves best by serving others … achieving balance by giving and receiving in equal measure. As the Beatles sang to beautifully many years ago … “And in the end, the love we take is equal to the love we make.” There is too much we need to have conversations about to continue wasting time arguing moot points. If not now … when? If not us … who? If not this … what?

This book looks at a new way to perceive the world we love and the harmony we seek, written by Pauline Crawford-Omps; this will be launched shortly, with a new Gender Dynamics Blueprint for women and men to co-create new rules, have new conversations and make transformation a whole lot easier. For more information contact pauline@pauline-crawford-omps.com

Read more about #PressforProgress and International Women’s Day activities.